SaaS app relationships are like people relationships.

We’ve all crossed paths with some great people.Of course you don’t have time to get to know them all, or you don’t need them all, or more importantly that “thing” wasn’t there.You know what the “thing” is – mostly it’s intangible – just knowing early on that the relationship is going somewhere.

SaaS apps are the same.We’ve all been intro’d to some great apps, but you can’t possibly have time to get to know them all, you certainly don’t need them all, and for sure that “thing” isn’t alway there.

Let’s say that “thing” and the need for the relationship are there, what’s next?That’s when we get deeper into the relationship.You know it’s a great fit, you gel, your goals and core values are the same.You’re on the same path marching forward, but there’s quirks.Stuff you wish they would fix.Stuff that drives you crazy.Glitches and hiccups and things they didn’t even know they should be doing (or not doing).And maybe, just maybe, they feel the same about you…

Should you bitch and gripe and peck away and try to change them completely?Try to get them to change right now, with no allowance for meaningful growth?Or can you make suggestions based on what’s already working for you, what makes the relationship better and what’s going to make for sustainable development?

We’ve all known people who meet someone great, love certain qualities and then believe the relationship growth will come by changing them completely.You know, like now.Right now.

That’s not how how it works for people – or SaaS apps though.For starters, the internet is a glitchy world.And SaaS is new, most of the apps I love are really, really new.And often it’s a picnic (problem in the chair, not the computer*).It goes both ways, it’s them and you.

Are you respecting their side of the relationship? Did you take time to learn how to handle the app properly, how to use it with best practices and the SaaS apps’ known tips and tricks? Do you know what makes the app perform well, what makes it “happy”? It’s not fair to pile on without taking the time to learn about the app, and then start griping away that it needs fixing – maybe it’s not as broken as you think.

So if you love the app, if at it’s core it’s a good fit, you need it and it has that “thing” then give it time.Love it for what it is right now and what it’s going to be moving forward as a relationship.Treat the relationship with the app and the people behind it with respect . Have private conversations with the developers about irritations, join in public discussions on why new features and fixes would be so valuable, and never lose site of how great the relationship was right from the start.

*I shamelessly stole acronym this from a member of one of the great professional FaceBook Groups I am in.